Best "Bouzouki" Player in the World - YouTube Best "Bouzouki" Player in the World Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Dec 8, 2011 The bouzouki (Greek: μπουζούκι pronounced [buˈzuki]; plural: μπουζούκια), is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but pitched lower. There are two main types of bouzouki. The three-course with three pairs of strings (known as courses) and the four-course having four pairs of strings.

Bouzouki in Turkish means "broken (from Turkish: bozuk), not functioning, modified." Here it is used in order to specify the size of the instrument, because of its modified (not proper) nature. It might be concluded, therefore, that the bouzouki has been named after the jargon of the Greek tamboura named saz, by the Greeks living in Turkey.[citation needed] An alternative popular etymology maintains that the word bouzouki was used because different tunings are required for the instrument to play in different musical scales known Dromoi in Greek or Maqam. ;"Around the turn of the century in Athens and Piraeus musicians adapted the saz to their needs, replacing the tied frets with metal frets like those of mandolins and guitars , and in the process abandoning the 1/4 tone system for the Western tempered tuned chromatic scale. By the 20's they had further changed the construction from solid carved saz bodies to mandolin-like bowl backs and had also added machine pegs, and settled on D A D as the tuning of the paired courses, the lowest pair including high octave double.

The instrument was played with Greek guitars and a miniature version of itself tuned an octave higher. These instruments both are kind of transformation of ancient Greek Pandoura , the larger version called bouzouki and the diminutive baglamas. The origin of Bouzouki as a descendant of ancient Greek and eastern instruments, locates in ancient Greece,[1] where there had been an instrument known as the pandura or pandourion, also called the "trichordo" because it had three strings; it was the first fretted instrument known, forerunner of the various families of lutes worldwide.[2] The source of our knowledge about this instrument is the Mantineia marble (4th century BC), now exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, depicting the mythical contest between Apollo and Marsyas, where a pandura is being played by a muse seated on a rock.[citation needed] The three-string, also known by the Hellenized name of Pandoura, refers primarily by lexicographers Pollux (2nd century AD) Hesychios , the Athenian and Nicomachus and Shown in clay figurines of 330-200 BC in the hands of women.

From Byzantine times it was called pandouras and then tambouras (Elizabeth Jeffreys, John Haldon, Robin Cormack, The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies, Oxford University Press, 2008, p928. Cf. Nikos Maliaras, Byzantina mousika organa, EPN 1023, ISΒN 978-960-7554-44-4). On display in the National Historical Museum of Greece is the tambouras of a hero of the Greek revolution of 1821, General Makriyiannis. the tambouras of Yannis Makriyannis exposed in the National Historical Museum, Athens Other sizes have developed and include the Greek instrumental Tzouras ,smaller in size than the standard.[3] The early bouzoukia were mostly three-string (trichordo), with three courses (six strings in three pairs) and were tuned in different ways, as to the scale one wanted to play.[citation needed] At the end of the 1950s, four-course (Tetrachordo) bouzoukia started to gain popularity.

The four-course bouzouki was made popular by Manolis Chiotis who also used a tuning akin to standard guitar tuning, which made it easier for guitarists to play bouzouki, even as it angered purists. The first recording was made in 1958.[citation needed] The Irish bouzouki, with four courses, a flatter back, and differently tuned from the Greek bouzouki, is a more recent development, dating back to the 1960s.The Irish bouzouki became popular around the same time, with four pairs of strings and a flatter back. Category Greek Instruments ~ Greek Folk Music and Dance ~ John Pappas ~ Ioannis Pappayiorgas ~ Greek Dance Greek Music Klarino Bouzouki Greek Instruments Greek Clarinet Lyra Pontos Pontian Lyra from Thessaloniki, 1970. The LYRA of the Greeks of Pontos (Black Sea region of Asia Minor) is also known as the Kementse. It is played like a violin (violi) with a primitive style bow, but the musicians hold the lyra in an upright position.

Sometimes they rest the instrument on their knee when they are sitting, and sometimes it is held out in front of them. They sometimes even dance in front of the dancers while holding the lyra in that way. The lyra usually has three strings. There are several tunings. Common tunings include: a-a-d, e-a-d, and many others. Since the instrument was often played alone, the tuning was often done according to the preference of the musician and his voice's range. Sometimes percussion instruments like a defi or daouli might be played to accompany the lyra. The musicians usually play two or all three strings at the same time, utilizing the open string(s) as a sort of drone to the melody. Sometimes they play the melody on two strings at once, giving a primitive harmony in fourths. They tend to play with many trills and embellishments, and with the unusual harmonies, the Pontian music has a very unique sound. Lyra Crete Cretan Lyra by M. Stagakis, 1981. Carved Swallow; Back of Cretan Lyra by M. Stagakis, 1981.

The Cretan lyra is the most popular melody instrument on the island of Crete (Kriti). It is a bowed instrument similar to the violin (violi), and it usually has three strings which are tuned in fifths. The lyra players play the lyra in an upright position. They sometimes rest it on the kneee, or, if they are standing, they will put one foot up on a chair and rest the lyra on the thigh. They have an unusual way of fingering the strings. Instead of pressing the strings with the finger tips (like violinists or guitarists do), they press against the sides of the strings with the tops of their finger nails. Sometimes the lyra players play unaccompanied, and it was not uncommon for the bow to have small bells attached to lend a rhythmic accompaniment to the melodies as the lyratzis played his lyra. The most common instrument used to accompany the lyra is the Cretan laouto, which is typically larger than the mainland laouto and tuned lower. The Cretan laouto players often play melodies with the lyra rather then just chords and rhythm.

Sometimes two laoutos accompany the lyra, with one playing melody and the other playing rhythm and chords. Outi Outi. The outi (ud) is a stringed, lute type instrument that is used throughout the Arabic world. It originated with the Arabs. The Greek outi has mainly been used by the Greeks from Thrace and Asia Minor, which is now part of Turkey. When the Greek population was forcibly moved from their homelands in Asia Minor such as Smyrni (Izmir), Konstantinoupoli (Istanbul), and Kappadokia, musicians brought these instruments into mainland Greece. It is very popular in the music of Smyrna and the Poli, and is often played along with a violi (violin), a kanoni, and a hand drum like the toumbeleki. Sometimes it is played along with a klarino and a santouri also. Baglamas Baglamas; Peiraieus, circa 1950. Made by Kyriakos Lazaridis, once owned by Papaioannou.

The baglamas was often favored in the early part of the 20th century as a solo instrument for men in jail or for a small group of "rebetes" to play for singing and dancing. It is a smaller version of the bouzouki and is tuned re, la, re (D, A, D), but an octave higher than the bouzouki's tuning. The baglamas can be used as a melody instrument and can be easily made from wood or other material for the back (including tortoise shells, gourds, or carved solid wood). A saying that the old "rebetes" used to quote was: "Eho to baglamadaki, kato ap' to sakaki." "I have my baglamadaki under my coat." This refers to the fact that they would carry the small instrument tucked into the back of their belt, under the back of their coat tail so that it did not show. If they found the occasion to play for their own expression, or for some friends, they could take the baglama out. However, if the situation was not appropriate for a good "kefi" (mood), they could keep it out of sight.

It also has been used as a chord and rhythm instrument in small "bouzouki" bands. In this role, it is often played with a simple, driving rhythm giving a high pitched, insistent beat to back up the lead bouzouki. It thus rounds out the sound of the bouzouki band. Tzouras New Tzouras. The tzouras is a long necked string instrument which is in the bouzouki family of instruments. The tzouras is also called a tambouras, and is similar to the ancient and Byzantine forms of the long necked stringed instruments. The body of the tzouras is smaller than that of a bouzouki. In the past, the body of the tzouras was carved from a solid piece of wood, often mulberry wood, and they are still made this way today, although the body of the instrument is often made of separate staves (called "douyies" in Greek) just as the bouzouki is made. Like the bouzouki and the baglamas, the tzouras (tambouras) was a favorite instrument of the rebetes in rebetiko music.

For several years it was not as popular, but it has had a renaissance in the past few years. Almost all bouzouki luthiers now are making tzourades, and it is a very popular instrument today. It is tuned exactly like the bouzouki, with three pairs of strings tuned D, A, D. It has a twangier sound than a bouzouki, but the style of playing is like old style bouzouki and lagouto playing, in that the musician periodically picks all the strings as a sort of drone as he plays the melody on the higher D string. Another similar instrument popular in Crete today is the boulgari, which is in the same tambouras family of instruments. It is played and tuned in the same way as the tzouras. And like the old lagouto and bouzouki/tambouras style of playing, old timers often used an eagle feather as a pick. Finally, the tzouras and the baglamas make a great pair of instruments for old traditional rebetika songs. Bouzouki Bouzouki by Zozef, created for Papaioannou ca. 1940.

The bouzouki is the main or lead folk instrument found in the taverna style or rebetiki music of the seaports and urban areas of Greece. The bouzouki is the descendent of ancient Greek and eastern instruments. In ancient times the name of this long-necked string instrument was the "trichordo" or "three stringed instrument." During the Byzantine period, it had many names including "tambouras," "yiongari," "pantouri," and others. It has three pairs of strings tuned re, la, re (D, A, D). In the 1950's, a bouzouki with four pairs of strings tuned to the intervals of the high four strings of the guitar was developed. It is tuned down one key from the guitar's tuning to (C, F, A, D). The make up of the typical bouzouki musical group has varied and changed over the years and has included many types of instrument groupings. A very common musical group might be one or two bouzoukia, a baglamas, and a kithara (guitar).

Sometimes a violin, or an accordion, a piano, or other instruments would be played as well. Similar instruments that are played like the bouzouki in this style of music are the tzouras (long necked, like the bouzouki, but with a smaller body), and the baglamas (a very small bouzouki). Santouri Santouri by A. Garavelis; Athens, 1981. The Santouri is a type of hammered dulcimer. It probably evolved from harp-like instruments such as the lyra of the ancient Greeks. It is a form of the psalterion of Byzantine times, and some ethnomusicologists attribute the name, santouri, to the word psalterion. It is played with two "hammer-like" sticks whose ends are wrapped in cotten. These hammers are similar in function to the small hammers which strike the strings of a piano. The piano probably evolved from these early hammered dulcimer type instruments. The santouri tuning tends to be chromatic, and this works will with the Greek modes. Another tuning used is the "tsimbalon" tuning which was popularized in Hungarian and Romanian hammered dulcimers.

The Santouri is popular with both the mainland "koumbania" which might include klarino, violi, lavouto and santouri, and the island folk group which might include a violi, lavouto, and santouri. The percussive sound of the Santouri lends a strong, rhythmic element to the group, but it also plays the melodies and chordal accompaniments. Lavouto Lavouto by Kopeliadis, ca. 1930. The lavouto (laouto, lagouto) is a stringed instrument in the lute family. It is related to the Arabic ud or the Greek outi, as well as to the European lutes. In Greek folk music, it is the largest plucked string instrument, followed by the tambouras/bouzouki, the tzouras, and the baglamas, from largest to smallest. This instrument has 4 courses of strings, or four double strings. It is tuned (from lowest to highest strings) C, G, D, A. The lower three pairs of strings consist of one wound, heavy metal string, and one unwound string.

The highest strings, the A, consists of a pair of unwound strings of the same diameter. There are three sizes of lavouta. The largest is found on the island of Crete, and it is often tuned lower than the tuning found in other parts of Greece. The medium size is the most common and is found all over Greece. There is also a slightly smaller size which is not as common. It is very good for playing melody along with the lead melody instruments. The lavouto is used in most regions of Greece, including the mainland and the islands. It can be used as a melody instrument or as a chord, rhythm instrument to accompany a melody instrument such as the klarino or violi. Sometimes the lavouto players will strum the rhythm by striking all of the strings while playing the melody on the higher strings. This gives a melody, as well as a drone harmony and a dance rhythm. Today, in the folk music of mainland Greece, most lavouto players play chords and rhythm, while on the island of Crete, the lavouto players play melodies as they accompany the lead instrument, the lyra. Wind Instruments (Aerophones) Floyera made by John in Kyparissia.

Tzamara Metsovon. The floyera is the Greek shepherd's flute. It is not a "whistle" type flute where the musician puts the flute into his mouth and blows like blowing a whistle. Instead, the musican blows across the open end or rim of the upper part of the floyera. In most areas of mainland Greece including Roumeli and Peloponnisos, the instrument is called the floyera. It can vary in length, but commonly the flolyera is about 12 inches long, more or less. In northern Greece they also have longer floyeres. In Epiros, northwestern Greece, these longer flutes are called tzamara. In Greek Thrace, northeastern Greece, they are sometimes called gavali (similar to the Bulgarian kaval). These longer flutes are usually around thirty (30) inches or so in length. The longer tzamara or gavali flutes have a different fingering and allow for playing half tones more easily that on the shorter floyera. Shepherds often play these, as they are fairly easily made by the musician himself.

They can be made from bamboo, or from a straight branch from a tree which has a pithy center that can be poked out easily. Sometimes, the shepherds would make the floyera from the bone of a large bird's wing (like the eagle's wing bone). These floyeres were said to have magical properties. The finger holes, usually six (6) on the top and one (on the bottom), but sometimes seven (7) on the top, could be burned into the bamboo or wood or bone body of the floyera. A piece of wire or metal the proper diameter would be heated to red hot in a fire and then the finger hole would be burned through. Sometimes, pieces of metal pipe would be used, and the shepherd would have a metal worker drill the finger holes to his satisfaction. I have even made floyeres myself from pvc or plastic pipe, and they play quite well. If you are interested in purchasing a handmade floyera or tzamara, please visit my "For Sale" page . Karamoudza Karamoudzes.

Before the klarino arrived in Greece (approximately 1830), the main instruments in the mainland of Greece were the double reed Karamoudzes and the Daouli drums. Variations of these instruments could be found in most regions from the north all the way to the south, and even on some of the islands. The Karamoudza is similar to the ancient Greek Avlos, which was also a double reed instrument. Drawings from ancient Greek vases show that musicians usually used some sort of a "lip guard" which helped them keep their lips from losing air as they played. Today, karamoudza players use the "kareli" or small wooden disk for the same purpose. Other names for the Karamoudza include: pipiza, zournadi, and zournas. They range in size from the small, approximately 5 or 6 inch zournadi to the large approximately 20 inch long zournas common in Greek Makedonia. In Peloponnisos and Roumeli, the pipizes or karamoudzes are usually about 12 inches long. Very old "flutes": Bone avloi (or auloi).

Avloi were double-piped reed instruments played in ancient times. An ancient statue featuring an avlos player. Avlos players would play to help athletes keep time while competing in the halma (or "long jump") event in the ancient panhellenic games. Thiambioli Crete A Cretan Thiambioli. The thiambioli is a very primitive clarinet type instrument. It is a single reed wind instrument played by shepherds, especially in Crete (Kriti). It is made from a piece of cane (like bamboo). One end is left closed, where the joint would be, and then a slice is made so that a thin "reed" is formed which can vibrate when that end is blown. (One can see how similar this is to the reed which is attached to a mouthpiece on a clarinet.) Then some holes are cut or burned into the instrument as finger holes. The bottom end is open. The thiambioli would seem to be a forerunner of the bagpipes and the early clarinets like the chalumeau. Tsabouna Crete A Cretan Tsabouna.

The tsabouna is the same as the bagpipe tsabouna from the Greek islands (see below), and similar to the Pontian bagpipe, askavlos. Sometimes the bagpipe type instrument is called askomantoura. However, sometimes the part that the player plays with his fingers is not attached to a bag, as is the case with this example. This "chanter" can be placed directly in the mouth and blown this way. Sometimes there is a bulbous mouthpiece place between the reed part. It acts as a sort of air reservoir. We can see that the reeds are made the same as the reed of the thiambioli, but the cylinder with the finger holes is made separately and can be much more sophisticated than the thiambioli. In fact, the reeds for the mainland gaida (bagpipe) are made in the same way. Tsabouna Kythnos Tsabouna from Kythnos; circa 1976. The Tsabouna is a type of bagpipe which is very popular on many of the Greek islands. It differs from the mainland bagpipe (or gaida) in that it does not have a separate, low-toned drone pipe.

Instead, the Tsabouna has double pipes that are fingered at the same time. In other words, the musician plays two pipes at the same time. On some islands one of the pipes has 5 holes, while the other one has only two. This gives a simple "moving drone" sound. On this bagpipe from Kythnos, both pipes have the same number of holes, and the result is a melody which is played in unison on two pipes at the same time. The interesting thing is that the two pipes are usually somewhat out of tune with one another, and this gives a very interesting sound. The Tsabouna on Kythnos is usually played by shepherds and it is accompanied by the small drum, the toumbi. Sometimes a laouto will play a simple open chord, rhythmic accompaniment to the Tsabouna. Gaida Kavala Gaida from Kavala; circa 1975. John plays a Thracian gaida at San Joaquin Delta College's 1977 campus dedication event. The Delta Hellenic Dancers perform to the music. The Greek gaida is similar to other bagpipes found in Balkan countries.

According to Anthony Baines, the bagpipe has been used by the Greeks since ancient times. The gaida has a single chanter pipe and one drone pipe. The reeds are single (like a clarinet reed). Gaides like this one can be found today mostly in northern Greece, including Greek Macedonia and Thrace. At one time it was found even in southern Greece. According to my grandmother, Kaliopi Petimeza Pappayiorga, she remembers the gaida when she was young (circa 1890's) in Arkadia (Peloponnisos). She pronounced the name as "gazhda." The gaida can be played unaccompanied, but percussion instruments are played when another musician is available. The favorite accompaniment for the gaida varies. In Greek Macedonia the daouli or toumbano (large drum) accompanies the gaida. In Greek Thrace, the defi or daires (small hand drum like a tambourine) accompanies the gaida. Klarino Five Albert System klarina: Keys of G, A, B flat, C, E flat.

Klarino is what the Greeks call the Greek clarinet, and it is the most popular lead melody instrument in the mainland regions of Greece. It is an Albert (or simple) system clarinet which is an older, more primitive version of the clarinet now common in classical and popular music in most of Europe and America. The Albert system klarino has fewer keys and has a different tone than the modern clarinet. The Greek "klaritzides" also play the klarino with a different style and sound than that used by classical musicians in Europe and America. The klarino in the key of "C" ("do") is a favorite of the old folk klaritzides (clarinet players), although the Albert Bb has become the most popular clarinet in recent years. They also use the A and G clarinets, which are lower pitched instruments, for some music. Drum Instruments (Membranophones) Daouli Daouli (shown with Karamoudza) from Zevgolateio, Korinthias. The Daouli is the two headed drum. The daouli player usually hangs the drum from a belt or strap over his left shoulder.

The right side of the drum has a lower pitched skin, while the left side has a higher pitched skin. Goatskins are Usually used for the drumheads. In my family's village of Kandyla, the tradition in the old days was to use wolf skin for the heads of the daouli. A friend from Epiros told me they used to use wolf skins for the defi (hand drum similar to a large tuned tambourine), and today they still favor dog skin. The right or lower side is struck with the "daouloxylo" or daouli stick, and the left or higher pitched side is struck with the "daouloverga" or daouli switch. The main dance beats are played with the heavier stick on the right side, while the decorative and "in between" beats are played with the light stick. Other names for the daouli, depending on the area, include toumpano, tymbano, or toumbi. This is from the ancient Greek word tympano which exists in English in the word "tympani" for the drum section in the modern classical orchestra, and the tympanic membrane for the ear drum.

These drums vary in size from the small 12 to 14 inch diameter toumbi, to the 3 to 4 foot diameter daouli in the north of Greece. The most common size in Peloponnisos and Roumeli tends to be about 20 to 30 inches in diameter. Defi Defi from Epiros. The defi (sometimes called daire in other areas) is a fairly large hand drum with metal bangles. It is similar to a tambourine in construction, however the defi is made with a metal screw system so that the head can be tightened and tuned. It is popular in many forms all over Greece, expecially in the mainland klarino music. The defi is particularly popular in Epiros in northwestern Greece, where they are still handmade today. They have a beautiful low tone, and the bangles are low pitched as well. A virtuoso defi player can decorate the rhythm of the songs in many exciting ways. Toumbi Toumbi Kythnos. The toumbi is a very small drum made in a similar way to the daouli. It is mainly used on the Aegean islands like Kythnos.

The toumbi is held usually under the left arm, and the head of the drum is struck with two drum sticks. It is often used to accompany the island tsabouna (bagpipe). This page was last updated on 8/4/2011. michael: teo | Bouzouki Teacher | Bouzouki Lessons Melbourne Do I need a bouzouki to start learning? Yes you will need an instrument when you begin your lessons. The bouzouki playing technique is quite exacting and needs practice to be developed. It is important to develop good technique early on so as to establish a firm foundation and avoid bad habits, which can be very difficult to correct further down the track. It is easiest to establish a regular practice routine from the beginning and make it a habit as this ensures the most rapid progress. Should I get a 3 or 4 course instrument? The original bouzouki is a three course instrument and up until the 1950s all bouzoukis had three courses. The revolutionary virtuoso Manolis Hiotis popularised the four course instrument and since then it has become the standard that is played by most professional bouzouki players.

However, since the 1980s there has been a revival of rebetika and the three course instrument has gained in popularity. Generally, most laika are played with a four course and most rebetika are played on a three course. However, it should be kept in mind that since the bouzouki is mostly played on the two treble courses (D and A strings) most music can be played on either and that there are only a few songs that specifically require one or the other. It is easier to transfer from four course to three course than vice versa since there are more chord, scale and arpeggio positions on the four course bouzouki. Do I need to learn to read music? No. Traditionally the bouzouki was taught in an aural tradition. Bouzouki lessons were a daily meeting with the teacher and everything was memorised. Currently, there is very little notated music for the bouzouki and that which exists does not include all details of ornamentation and rhythmic subtleties. Music for the bouzouki needs to be learnt aurally. This does not necessarily mean that notation should not be used at all.

Ultimately music is an aural art that is produced with physical movements. Representing music in a visual form is only a mnemonic device and though it may be useful the help remember music, it is an abstraction and not at all necessary. In some cases it may even be a distraction from the essence of music. Do you use Fixed Do Solfège or Western nomenclature? In Greece, notes are named according to the “Fixed Do” Solfège system using the syllables Do Re Mi Fa Sol La and Si (Ti) to name the notes whereas in Australia, the standard system uses the letters A to G. Having been originally trained in classical piano, I use the Western system, but use the “Fixed Do” system when I am speaking in Greek. I think that it is best for a musicians to know both the terminology traditionally used for their instrument as well as the standard terminology used in the country in which they live. Do you teach group lessons? I do not recommend group lessons for learning the bouzouki. One of the most important aspects of a lesson is the feedback from the teacher. In a group situation, it is impossible to pay adequate attention or give adequate feedback to each person since different people will have differing needs.

It is only in a personal one on one lesson that each student’s individual needs can be addressed. I can play guitar… is this an advantage or disadvantage? Although they are both plucked fretted stringed instruments, the guitar and the bouzouki have distinctly different playing techniques. Both the picking and fretting hands on the bouzouki are used differently than guitar technique. Generally, the bouzouki is considered a melody instrument whereas the guitar is used as both a harmonic and melodic instrument. Also, most of the scale and arpeggio positions are different as the bouzouki mainly uses the two treble strings to play melodies up and down the neck favouring position shifts whereas the guitar plays scales across the neck favouring playing in one position. Different fingerings are used on the bouzouki to facilitate the highly ornamented playing style. Overall, there will be an adjustment period while adapting to the new playing technique. It I important to consider the instruments as being separate and having their own distinct technique. I can play (used to play) another instrument, will this help me? Yes, most definately. Many of the skills developed in learning any musical instrument will transfer easily to the bouzouki.

The finger control and especially the association of a physical movement to a sound being produced helps in learning a new instrument. Also, musicianship skills such as a good sense of pitch and rhythm that were developed while learning your other instrument will accelerate your learning of the bouzouki. How long will it take before I start sounding good? This is such a relative question that I am always hesitant to answer it definitively. Basically it depends on what you mean by “sounding good”. Does this mean that you are able to play a confidently, accurately, with good rhythm and with a good tone? Well, then it could be in your first lesson. Or does it mean to be able to play at a professional standard, in which case it will take years of dedicated practice. Everyone’s goals are different and the answer is different for everyone. It mostly depends on how often you practice and how focused your practice sessions are. It is important to remember that your bouzouki lessons are only to steer you in the right direction and it is only in your home practice that you truly internalise the playing techniques and master the instrument. How is the bouzouki tuned?

The bouzouki has two melody strings (courses), which are tuned A3 and D4 and either 1 or 2 low courses referred to as bourgana (Gr:μπουργάνα) or plural bourganes (Gr:μπουργάνες). The two melody strings are tuned on unison and the μπουργάνα/ες are tuned in octaves.The 4 course (τετράχορδο/οχτάχορδο) bouzouki is tuned C3/C4, F3/F4, A3, D4. This is the same as the four treble strings of a guitar transposed down a tone. Some bouzouki players recently have been tuning the same as the treble strings of a guitar (D3/D4, G3/G4, B3, E4) but this is not very common. The 3 course (τρίχορδο/εξάχορδο) is tuned D3/D4, A3, D4. How much/often should I practice?

My teacher use to tell me after my bouzouki lessons “Να κάνεις πράκτις όσο μπορείς” (“Practise as much as you can”) and yes, he said “πράκτις” and not “άσκηση”. Music involves many different things. It is both an accumulation of knowledge as well as a fine motor skill, it is both a mental and emotional art. In developing a physical skill it is much more effective to practice frequently rather than in long sessions. Five minutes a day is a lot more effective than an hour on the weekend, even though the total time is less. We need to remember that we are training our hands to move in certain specific ways and the best way to make this happen is to do it frequently. This ensures that we are approaching it fresh every time and that through constant repetition the movements become sub-conscious. In the beginning it would be best to practice between 15-30 minutes a day (in 2 or even 3 sessions) 5 or 6 days a week.

The most important thing to do is to make sure that you are practicing correctly and accurately while avoiding any unnecessary tension. You can leave your bouzouki next to your desk (if you have the kind of job that allows you to) and pick it up for a few minutes every so often throughout the day. Another important thing to consider is the effectiveness of your practice sessions. You should be setting specific goals for every practice session, not just “to play for 10 minutes”. Examples of specific goals could be “to practice this exercise so that I can play it smoothly with 100% accuracy at 60 beats per minute”. Most of your practice should be done with a metronome . That way practice advances your playing and you will see continual improvement. What is the most important thing to practice? Aural skills…by far. Music is an aural art and our ability to express ourselves in music is completely dependent on our ability to hear and to hear in detail. It is only when we can hear what we are doing that all of the playing techniques we practice have meaning.

If we do not spend time honing our aural skills then all of the scales (δρόμοι) are just an exercise in memorisation, but if we learn to hear they become a vehicle for expressing ourselves. The other important thing to practice is playing technique. We can only express what we want to freely when we have a playing technique that will support and execute our ideas. Am I too old to learn to play bouzouki? There are both advantages and disadvantages of beginning music at any age. When children are young, they have more time and fewer expectations of themselves, they also have a more lighthearted attitude toward what they do which keeps it fun, however as we get older, we have better ability to concentrate, are more disciplined, are more organised, have more developed listening skills (can hear melody, rhythm and harmony better) are more mature. The main trouble that adult music students have is making the time to practice. Learning any bouzouki or any musical instrument takes time and requires effort, so it is important to be both patient and persistent. The one thing that keeps us going is the passion for the instrument and the music.

Regardless of our abilities or at what stage in life we are, if we love it and have a passion for it we will continue to practice and we will achieve our goals. My child is very interested in music. Is it too young to learn bouzouki? One of the first main challenges with the bouzouki is holding it and children often struggle with this at first. A child should at least be large enough to hold the instrument. If children talented then of course we want to nurture this, however we want to be careful not to put them off music by begining their study too early at a time when they are unable to keep up with the lessons. My personal view is that the ideal age for a child to begin learning bouzouki is about 7-8 years old, when they are large enough to hold the instrument and old enough to take responsibility for their practice. However, every person is different and no one knows a child better than the parents. It may be appropriate for a child to begin earlier or later than this. I’m self taught and have been learning songs off YouTube/CDs/DVDs. Could I get a few lessons to help me out?

Yes of course you can, BUT there are some things you should be aware of. Often the limitations that self taught players have are a result of bad habits in playing technique. The best approach is to begin again from the beginning to address shortcomings in technique and correct all errors. The biggest challenge for the self taught player is often having the humility and self discipline to go back to the basics and realise that this is the best way to move forward and progress. Would it be better to learn on my own for a while and go as far as I can and then get lessons? No. It is much easier to get a few lessons in the beginning and then go off and practice on your own. If you truly want to develop as bouzouki player and advance as far as you can as quickly as possible, it is much more efficient to have a competent bouzouki teacher guide you. This will make sure that you are doing things correctly from the beginning and wasting time trying to reinvent the wheel and figure everything out for yourself through trial and error. When you do go to see a teacher, most of the time will be spent trying to unlearn bad habits rather than learning correct bouzouki playing technique from the first lesson.

I already have a bouzouki and am very keen to begin, is there something that I can practice before my first lesson? No, I would not recommend begining without proper instruction. This point cannot be emphasised enough. The initial stages of learning are quite crucial to developing correct playing technique and if you intend to progress in your playing you should find an experienced teacher to guide you from the first steps. It is in the first few days/weeks/months that the practice methods are developed and solid foundations will ensure consistent progress. Should I get a tzoura/baglama for my child to begin on and then get a bouzouki when then grow up? There are 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 sizes in other instruments such as the violin which are used to teach young children. If a child is very small or very young but would like to begin playing then this is a possibility. I’ve heard both τετράχορδο and οχτάχορδο. So, is it called a 4 or 8 string bouzouki? The double strings often make things confusing as far as what to call the instruments.

The bouzouki has four pairs of strings. Each of these pairs is called a course, however, it is commonly referred to as a string, even though it is a pair. So it is correctly called a four course or eight string bouzouki. During lessons or communicating with other musicians, most bouzouki players including myself would refer to the pairs of strings as though it were a single string. Just to make things a little more confusing, in Greek, the words for string and course are both “χορδή” so it is only the context that would allow one to know which is being referred to. Historically, the bouzouki was also referred to in ancient times as a “τρίχορδο” (three string/course) as well as “πανδούρα” or “πανδουρίδα”, when the instruments began to be made with double strings, the name more specifically referred to the number of courses. May I record the lessons? Yes.

I even encourage you to make a video recording of the lesson material (if you have that facility on your mobile) to make sure that you are practicing correctly and to have as a reference for the future. Although many teachers will not allow you to record lessons, you are more than welcome to record lessons with me.

Question: Which country traditionally plays bouzouki music
Answer: Greece